Regional

10:08 pm

Sat June 19, 2010

Harvard Student's Deportation Deferred

Texas – Officials say an undocumented Harvard University student is no longer facing deportation to Mexico after being detained by immigration authorities at a Texas airport.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said late Friday that they would not pursue the deportation of Eric Balderas. The 19-year-old was detained June 7 after he tried to use a university ID card to board a plane from San Antonio to Boston.

ICE spokesman Brian P. Hale told The Boston Globe that Balderas had been granted deferred action, which can be used to halt deportation based on the merits of a case.

According to a Facebook page set up to highlight his case, Balderas was brought to the U.S. from Mexico by his family at age 4. He says he doesn't remember living in Mexico.